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Load Shedding Side Hustle: How to Make Money Online During Eskom Outages in 2026
Eskom cut my power at 10am on a Tuesday. Stage 4. 4 hours.
By 2pm, when the lights came back, I had written one affiliate post and answered 6 Quora questions. That week, one of those answers sent 140 visitors to my blog and earned me my second hosting commission — R1,040.
Load shedding isn't going anywhere. But most South Africans scroll TikTok until the inverter dies and call it a day.
This guide is for the ones who want to use those 4–8 hours differently.
What You Need First: The R0–R500 Setup
You don't need a generator. You need 3 things:
1. Mobile Data Hotspot
Your phone's hotspot works fine for writing posts, answering on Quora, and uploading to YouTube. I use 2–3GB per stage-4 day. Budget R50–R80 on data.
2. Laptop Power Backup
A decent UPS runs a laptop for 3–5 hours. Look on Takealot for "mini UPS laptop" — prices start around R800. Or just charge your laptop fully before load shedding starts. A MacBook runs 6+ hours unplugged.
3. Your Phone
That's it. You can do everything on a phone if you have no laptop. Write posts in Google Docs. Film YouTube Shorts. Answer questions. Build income.
Total: R0 if you already own a laptop. R50 for data.
4 Things You Can Do During Load Shedding That Pay You Back
1. Write Affiliate Blog Posts (Works Fully Offline)
Google Docs works offline. Here's the system:
- Open Google Docs before load shedding starts
- Write your full post offline — product review, comparison, "how-to" guide
- When power returns, paste it into Blogger and publish
Best posts to write during load shedding:
- "Best [Product] for South Africa 2026" — example: "Best UPS for Work From Home South Africa"
- "Is [Product] Worth It?" — reviews convert well
- "How to Start [Thing] in South Africa" — beginners search this constantly
You don't need internet to write. You need internet to publish. Load shedding can't stop your writing schedule.
Need help picking what to write about? Read: How to Choose Your First Affiliate Marketing Niche
2. Answer Quora Questions — Free Traffic With Your Phone
This is how I got 140 visitors from one answer — sitting in the dark with a phone.
How to do it:
- Open Quora on your phone's data
- Search: "make money online South Africa" or "load shedding work from home"
- Find questions with 2,000+ views but fewer than 10 answers
- Write a 3–5 paragraph answer with real, helpful information
- At the end, add one link to your relevant blog post
Rules: Only 1 link per answer. No spamming. Be genuinely helpful first. One good Quora answer can send traffic for years.
3. Film YouTube Shorts on Your Phone — No Wi-Fi Needed
You don't need internet to record a video. You need internet to upload.
What to film:
- "3 mistakes I made starting my blog in South Africa"
- "How I made my first affiliate commission with no experience"
- "Best side hustle for South Africans during load shedding"
Equipment I use:
- Logitech C920 Webcam — for desk recordings when power is on. 1080p, autofocus, dual mics built in.
- Phone camera — for load shedding recordings. Sit near a window. Free light.
Film during load shedding. Upload when power returns. Put your blog link in the description. Repeat.
4. Build Your Affiliate Income Stack — No Power Required
Here's what I recommend setting up so you earn commissions even during outages:
For South African readers: HostAfrica — R49/month hosting. Fastest for SA visitors. Pays affiliates in ZAR. This is what I use for SA-focused sites.
For global readers (USA, UK, AU): GreenGeeks — $2.95/month. 300% green energy. $65 per sale. My main global affiliate.
For product reviews: Amazon Associates — earn 1–10% on anything someone buys within 24 hours of clicking your link. I use it for gear like the Logitech C920, ring lights, and power banks.
Once these links are live on your blog, they earn while Eskom does whatever it wants.
The Load Shedding Content Calendar (Copy This)
| Stage | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 (2 hrs) | Write 1 blog post draft in Google Docs. Answer 3 Quora questions. |
| Stage 4 (4 hrs) | Write 2 drafts. Film 1 YouTube Short. Research 5 affiliate keywords. |
| Stage 6 (6 hrs) | Write and edit 2 full posts. Film 2 Shorts. Plan next week's content. |
When power comes back: publish, request Google indexing, and add internal links.
My First Load Shedding Income: What Actually Happened
In month 1, I had zero blog traffic. Load shedding forced me offline. Instead of scrolling, I wrote 4 posts in 3 days — all in Google Docs, all offline.
I published them when power returned. Two weeks later, one ranked on page 1 for "affiliate marketing South Africa beginners." That post earned my first R1,040 commission.
Eskom didn't stop me. It created the time I needed.
Your Next Step
- If you don't have a blog yet: Start here → How to Start a Blog and Make Money 2026. Use HostAfrica for SA hosting — R49/month, pay by EFT.
- If you have a blog: Write one load-shedding post this week. Topic: "Best [product you own] for load shedding South Africa." Add your Amazon or Takealot affiliate link.
- If you want to earn from hosting referrals: Sign up for the GreenGeeks affiliate program — $65 per sale, no cap.
The next load shedding slot is coming. You can watch the candle burn, or you can write the post that pays you next month.
Have you made money during load shedding? Drop a comment — I read every one.
Disclosure: Kapya Market participates in the Amazon Associates Program, the HostAfrica Affiliate Program, and the GreenGeeks Affiliate Program. As an affiliate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use and have tested.
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